


Easy isn’t always simple

by swaneewhistleandkazoo



Series: Lessons in the force [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Family, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, Humor, Jedi Training, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Reminiscing, Reylo (implied), Speculation, Teaching, references to Rebels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 03:13:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14803286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swaneewhistleandkazoo/pseuds/swaneewhistleandkazoo
Summary: After the escape from the First order on Crait, the resistance is regrouping on Lothal and being joined with some old friends from the rebellion. Rey is attempting to decipher the Jedi texts and develop her own skills when some help comes from an unexpected source.





	Easy isn’t always simple

**Author's Note:**

> A sort of sequel to my fic A lesson earned is a lesson earned, I couldn’t resist having the gang meet up at least a few characters from Rebels. Also while Rey has the Jedi texts she took from Ahch-To a little help from an established source would probably help her a lot.

Rey had to admit that Lothal was a beautiful place as she sat away with her back to the old rebel base the Resistance had fled to after escaping Crait looking out over the plains. Not as lush as the woods around Maz’s cantina or as starkly beautiful as the islands and cliffs of Ahch-To but still an amazing sight for someone who has only ever seen deserts her whole life. Like Jaku it was a rather dry world but instead of endless baking hot sand and wrecks of downed starships Lothal plains of grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see interspersed with smooth conical rocky outcrops as tall as buildings. The only manmade structures that could see was the old rebel base behind her and the odd dot of a farm here and there. Even though the Empire had been driven out from it years ago her practiced scavenger eye located here and there the remains of downed TIEs, Destroyers, AT-ATs and ruins of Empire architecture, like Jaku there had been a war here.

Breathing like Master Luke had taught her to do she let herself reach out into the force, surrounded by the endless resonance of the force and a feeling of peace filled her. Here in the peace and serenity of the force she let herself reflect on the past few months since she had left the ruins of the First Order’s flag ship.

After the Falcon had jumped to hyperspace Leia had plotted a course for a secret location on Atollon which was horrible, far too much like Jaku, full of gigantic spider like creatures and for a while they had recuperated at the badly damaged rebel base there. Rey hadn’t liked Atollon much, with her rapidly growing connection and understanding of the force she had sensed echo’s of pain and despair in the force, remnants of a battle fought here and a odd Force presence not like one she’d felt from Luke or Ben or even Snoke but something older and more powerful, both benevolent and malevolent….

Kinda grey maybe….

and it didn’t want them here.

Neither Poe nor Finn had understood her discomfort in being in a place where something powerful didn’t want them. Finn was more worried about his new friend Rose who was recovering from her injury sustained during the battle on Crait although he had listened to her and had suggested that she talk to Leia. Rose had mostly recovered now but keeping things slow and the two were flirting in a adorable if awkward manner. Poe was more worried about the First Order finding them than Force beings that may or may not be hostile to them.

She’d hoped desperately it was all in her head.

Thankfully Leia had managed to contact her old rebellion allies, they had heard her message and had started to gather troops when they had escaped from Crait. After less than a month on Atollon they had left it abandoned again and began to relocated to Lothal. It was only after they had left did Leia mutter something about being glad to leave did she realized that Leia had felt the presence too.

A few chaotic weeks and several hair raising escapes later they had arrived on the Planet Lothal, Poe and Rose patiently explained to her and Finn on the way there that Lothal had been a longstanding ally of the Resistance and an even more long standing member of the Rebellion. Apparently the cell based here had played an important part in the birth of the Rebel Alliance and Lothal had been one of the first planets where the Empire had been driven out.

Knowing that such a small group of rebels had driven off an entire garrison, blown up an entire Empire headquarters and then gone on to assist in overthrowing the Empire had given her renewed hope that the small number of Resistance fighters left could regroup and overcome.

When they had arrived Leia and Poe had raced off to meet with Senator Mon Mothma, General Syndulla of Green squadron, Wedge Antillies of Rogue squadron, the Duchess Sabine Wren representing the Manda’lore and other previous members of the rebellion, she had met them briefly and tongue tied she hadn’t said much only relating to them what had happened to Luke and on Snoke’s Mega Destroyer.

Slowly the Resistance was rebuilding, more and more people joining up both ex rebellion members and new blood joining to fight the First Order. And was gradually the base was getting increasingly crowded, recon teams kept on departing and returning with information on the First Orders movements. Which strike teams of X and B Wings used to thwart First Order patrols. R2 had run afoul of General Syndulla’s ancient orange and white astromech, which was somehow still functioning decades after the clone wars and an escalating war of one up-man ship was brewing ominously in the background for which her studies were interrupted with her or BB8 playing referee when Poe was busy.

After that apart from briefings and working with Finn and Rose she’d spent her time trying to figure out the Jedi books she’d taken, not stolen from Ahch-To and developing her abilities with the force.

Her explorations into the force had gone in fits and starts; what she was learning from the texts supported what she had gleamed from Ben’s mind when he’d tried to break in. But reaching out to another living beings mind was difficult for her, Snoke’s painful violation of her mind made her wary of causing similar violation.

 After repairing Luke’s lightsaber she’s run through the movements she’d managed to decipher from the Jedi text, trying to follow the arcs and cuts the books had described and let the force guide her actions. Lost in the rhythm of the strokes she’s feel the rightness of the movement like the Jedi of old but then the lightsaber would get away from her as it had on Ahch-To and send her face planting into the dirt or nearly decapitating passing rebels. Who now all avoided her while she was practicing. Finn and Rose were avid spectators sipping caf, cheering every time she succeeded and booing even louder when things went wrong.

Moving objects of the force was something she was better at and she often played with the Lothcats by floating twigs and grass steams over their heads and having them bat at them.

She was improving she thought, but Ben was right she needed a teacher.

She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she felt a tickle of electricity on the back of her neck, alerting her to Ben’s churning tormented presence in the force. Ben was visiting her right now with their bond, she kept her eyes shut and kept the iron wall of her will up between them. The bond that Snoke had bridged between their minds was persistent and while she could severe it by cutting herself off from the force it was exhausting and she disliked being away from the force. So when their minds did link she did her best to ignore him. Keeping her back straight and slow, deep breathes she let the resonance of the force wash over her drowning out his spectre and deep in her meditation his voice sounded odd, muffled like she was underwater. 

He would come back to the light she knew; she just had to be patient and let the force work its will. The connection between them broke as abruptly as it had begun and she took a number of calming breathes. He was currently her enemy and head of the First Order but they understood each other better than anyone else even had and but she missed him.

She let the force wash over her again, continuing her mediation.

*

The steady tread of feet crunching over the dried grass and loose stone drew her from her calm bubble her first impulse was to reach for her staff. You don’t grow up a scavenger without developing a healthy wariness of people sneaking up on you. The force told her that he was looking for her but that he didn’t want to harm her so quashing that impulse she opened eyes and waited for the man to reach her.

“Its nice out here isn’t it?” He spoke casually to her as he sat down next to her bracing his hand on his knees. To her surprise he was mixed species with mottled green and human tan skin with bright green hair and a rather roguishly handsome face around the same age as Poe. She couldn’t tell what his parentage was only that one of them was human.

“Better than Jaku” She grinned at him, his cheerful, friendly charm somehow put her at ease.

He grinned back at her showing sharp white teeth “Anywhere is better than Jaku.” Its an old joke, but still funny because it’s true.

“I’m Rey” Although he probably knew that.

“I know, my Mother sent me to find you” That sounded ominous “She wants to talk to you.”

He saw her guarded look and chuckled at her expression. “I’m sorry, I’m haven’t introduced myself” He stuck out his hand and she shook it “My name is Jacen Syndulla, my mother General Hera Syndulla wanted a word with you”

“What about?” she asked as they stood, higher up members of the Resistance and the Rebellion rarely wanted a chat about Star Destroyer parts. And she wasn’t really interested in being involved in a political game.

“You’re learning about the force” Jacen was matter of fact “Mother believes she can help you with your studies” He sounded almost amused by the situation.

As they set off he piped up “Maybe it’s not chance that brought you to Lothal, this planet has powerful ties with the force I think it brought you here to learn” Her curiosity intrigued she followed him.

They picked their way down the rough slope it wasn’t far but it took all their concentration so it was a while before they could talk properly. Finally they reached the bottom and walked out across the plain, she’d come a long way from the Resistance base and she was somewhat surprised that he’d managed to find her. Reaching out with the force she gently brushed him and to her amazement she felt his connection to the force shining and sparkling, he grinned at her, his teal eyes sparkling with mirth when she stumbled to a halt in shock. He was Force sensitive like her and Ben, not as powerful perhaps but still…

“But you’re…” she stammered, she’d met so few force sensitives that she didn’t know what to say. He watched a few Loth wolves pad across the plain nearby while she ordered her thoughts. She’d thought all the Knights of Ren had killed all of Luke’s apprentices.

“I’m not a Jedi” It sounded like he’d read her mind and maybe he had “My Father was, I’m force sensitive but when Master Luke asked if I wanted to be a part of his academy I refused, I couldn’t leave my Mother”

He walked past her and then turned to see if she was following him numbly she forced her feet to move elated to have found someone else to talk too. As the waded through the grass Jacen continued.

“My Father was Kanan Jarrus.” He sounded rather sad “He was a Jedi knight after the clone wars, he and my Mother started the rebel cell on Lothal with a few others. He was a great man, help loads of people” He kicked a stone “He died before I was born saving my Mother and the his apprentice from an explosion, it’s what helped drive the Empire off Lothal” he smiled “I didn’t want to be a Jedi I just want to fly”

She understood that.

They’d reached the edge of the base and started to weave their way through the motley assortment of fighters and freighters their conversation trickled off as they fought their way through the throng. They reached the ships and crews of Green Squadron trotted up the ramp of a heavily modified VCX-100 light freighter. A orange-red starbird was emblazed on its side underneath was written in basic the name of the ship, Ghost.

*

The Ghost was one of the nicest ships she’d ever been on. She loved the Millennium Falcon of course but years of being involved in endless dog fights and smuggling operations as well as spending the better part of a decade mag-clamped in a junk yard by an uncaring Unkar Plutt had left it a little worse for wear. The Ghost while just as old as the Falcon and having seen just as much action, had been lovingly maintained and repaired, obviously used as a home for many years. Slightly faded but still brightly coloured paintings festooned the walls and other personal items littered the loading dock. She loved ships and looked around slowly enthralled by it, it seemed to have a signature masking system that she really wanted to have a closer look at.

A tickle on the back of her neck alerted her to another force sensitive.

“You found her!” a red haired woman greeted them cheerfully, green eyes gleaming; Jacen slid past her and embraced the woman tenderly dropping a kiss to her forehead.

The woman turned back to Jacen “Hera’s up in the galley waiting for you. I’ve got to go up to command and report to Sabine, your uncles contacted Hera and they think they can get a great deal of support from Lirasan for the Resistance”

With her red hair swinging behind her she walked smartly off whacking the dome of R2’s nemesis as she went and then suddenly jolted like she’d been shocked, which she responded by kicking the droid. This fight between them continued down the ramp and off up towards the command centre. Jacen watched them go fondly.

“It’s a long story” He said to her and mouthed I’ll tell you later at her

They climbed the ladder up from the cargo bay and into the galley, General Syndulla reclined gracefully on a chair that had been built with a larger species in mind going through a report, when she saw them she agilely swung into a upright sitting position, impressive for a women of her age. She’d only met General Syndulla once in the briefing where she had told all the commanders what had happened to Snoke. General Syndulla had been a strong ally of Leia and when she’d spoken, it was calm and pleasant yet commanded respect. Here in the crew area of her ship she was more relaxed, warm and friendly.

Jacen dropped a kiss onto her cheek “Look who I found Mom?!” He grinned back at Rey. General Syndulla swatted him fondly and he collapsed onto the sitting area faining injury. Rey had to hid a smile at Mother and Son interacting.

“General Syndulla” She held her arm out for her to shake and got a calm smile and a firm handshake in return.

“Please call me Hera”

What can I do for you” she asked carefully.

Again a calm smile spread across Hera’s face “It’s less what you can do for me and more what I can do for you. I know you’re training to become a Jedi and I believe I can help you” Intrigued Rey sat forward.

 “My partner Kanan” an old pain flickered over her face and Jacen patted her arm comfortingly his face filled with concern Hera continued “He was a Jedi as I’m sure Jacen told you, unlike you and the others he was trained at the Jedi temple on Coursant and fought in the clone wars and during the rebellion. We fought so long and hard for peace and now we’re on the brink of another war” she sounded tired.

Absentmindedly Hera reached up to her shoulder and rubbed it thoughtfully, Rey blinked and she was almost certain that she could see the faint outline of a man with long reddish brown hair tied back in a ponytail and the same teal eyes as Jacen, he comfortingly squeezed her shoulder. Hera smiled slightly like she felt the sensation and astonished Rey glanced over at Jacen who smiled sadly at her a put a finger to his lips in a shushing motion and she quickly schooled her expression into something other than shock. Hera’s squared her shoulders seemingly to have gained some resolve from the ghost of her partner even if she could only sense him.

General Syndulla reached into the pocket of her flight overalls and cradled a data chip in her hand. She held Rey’s eyes for a long moment and then looked over at Jacen, face alive with uncertainty. Eventually after a silient conversation with her son and with a heavy sigh she slowly held out a data chip.

 Jacen pointed at it “This is a Jedi holocron it had all the information a padawan even needs to learn about the force”

Rey’s insides where dancing the conga with excitement.

Hera’s green fingers lovingly traced its edges. “Kanan brought this from the temple there before the Jedi were destroyed; it’s one of the few things he had that tied him back to that part of his life there. When we met Ezra, he used it to teach him, they left it in my care maybe for you” She challenged Rey with her eyes “if you can open it, you can borrow it and I can arrange for you to spar with Sabine Wren she had experience fighting with lightsabers”

Eagerly Rey took the holocron from Hera’s extended hand. The Jedi texts she’d taken from Ahch-To but to have actual instructions what where legible and taught in ways she could comprehend was an incredible gift. The holocron proved impossible to open even with her experienced scavenger hands frustrated she glanced up and caught Jacen’s eyes.

“Reach out” He mouthed at her from behind his mother “With the force”

She reached out and touched it with the force, out of the blue with a sickening tilt to the world her Psychometry kicked in and a swarm of visions filled her mind.

_A teenaged Jacen and his red headed girlfriend bickering playfully over whos turn it was to pour over the holocron while a younger paler quieter version of Ben sat in the background absorbing all the knowledge he could._

_Luke, in his early twenties practicing drills with his lightsaber his blonde hair gleaming in the sunlight of Yavin. He look so young and while not carefree… he looked happy until the lightsaber got away from him and sent him flying and lodged itself in a tree just missing a passing rebel, it comforted her that she and her master did have some simliarities. In the background a young and handsome Han Solo laughed uproariously, leaning against a slightly in better condition Millennium Falcon while a young Leia scolded Han but hid a smile from a bashful Luke._

_General Syndulla curled up around it grieving over the loss of her partner and lover Kanan and for her child who had lost his father and that Kanan would never know his child._

_Kanan and a boy with blue black hair and purplish eyes pouring feverishly over the holographic knowledge stored within the holocron. The boy said something to Kanan and they both laughed at what he had said. Hera and a teenaged Duchess Wren joined them and all promptly got a fit of the giggles._

_In the midst of a thunderstorm and the distant sounds of blaster fire, a young Kanan Jarrus in brown robes and a braid in his hair screams his loss into the sky, his fingers gripping the cold corners of the holocron tightly._

_A tired but kind faced woman hands her new padawan the holocron to help quench his thirst for knowledge._

_A group of younglings at the temple listen enraptured as their teacher explains the force to them as Luke did for her._

She opened her eyes the holocron floating in her hand projecting its knowledge into the air. She felt comforted with this gift of knowledge that many generations had used before knowledge and she was part of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the quote from the clones wars episode Lightsaber lost. I saw Solo the other day and it dragged me back into Star Wars. I had to include Wedge, I just had too.


End file.
